Freshman Year
by Dulcineah
Summary: My first GG fanfic. Rory's first year at Yale. RD in future chapters. Please RR! 102003--FINALLY, Chapter 7 up!
1. Default Chapter

Author's notes:

This is my first Gilmore Girls fic, so please be gentle with your comments.  I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this yet, so any comments/advice would be especially helpful.  This follows Rory's first year at Yale, and will primarily focus on her, although other characters will make appearances as well.  Paris will probably be in this fairly regularly, and possibly Dean as well, although I haven't decided anything yet.  Enjoy, and please review!

Freshman Year

By Dulcey

*       *        *

            It was probably the biggest her dorm room would ever seem to her.  It had seemed downright tiny early this afternoon, when her mother and Luke had helped her move in, and her grandparents had stopped by to say good luck, much to Lorelai's dismay.  She had barely had enough room to hang up her clothes in her closet and shelve her books above her desk.  Not only was this space half the size of her room at home, but she was supposed to share it with another girl as well.  

            She'd met Jackie briefly, when her roommate had stopped by to change inbetween rush activities.  She'd seemed friendly, from what little Rory talked to her.  They had written a few times over the summer, and talked on the phone once, and while she seemed nice, Rory didn't know anything about her apart from the fact that she was from California and she was rushing a sorority.  They didn't seem to have much in common, but as long as they could coexist peacefully, that was fine with Rory.

            But now Jackie was off as some sorority activity, and her grandparents had gone home, and her mother had hugged her about a dozen times before leaving, making Rory promise that she'd call if she needed anything.  Even Luke had hugged her briefly, embarrassed to be showing how much he'd miss her.  

Now that everyone had left, this room seemed huge.  She was all alone at this strange school in this strange city, and she had the childish desire to cry.  This was what she'd wanted, she reminded herself.  This was what she had worked for during all those years at Chilton.  Tomorrow she would start her new classes, and take the next step towards the dream she'd been pursuing for so long.  She should be excited, not scared.  What on earth was there to be afraid of?

Her bed was on the top bunk—not her first choice, but Jackie had arrived first and selected the bottom bed.  Rory climbed up onto the bed, intending on reading for a bit and getting to bed early, and promptly smacked her head on a beam on the ceiling.  Apparently it was lower than it looked.

"Ow," she whimpered, rubbing her temple and really wanting to cry.  She had to get out of here or she would lose the battle, and she couldn't stand the thought of spending her very first night in college crying alone in her dorm room.

Paris, she thought suddenly.  She lived two dorms over, and certainly wouldn't be  at a rush party.  Granted, Paris Gellar wasn't as supportive as Lorelai or as fun as Lane, but she was a familiar face and she was here.  Rory put on her jacket, grabbed her keys from her desk, and headed out.

*         *         *

            The girl opened the door and looked Rory up and down skeptically.  "Who did you say you were again?"

            Rory sighed.  "Rory Gilmore.  I'm a friend of Paris's.  Is she here?"

            The girl shook her head vigorously.  "She's out with her boyfriend.  I don't know when she'll be back."  Then she slammed the door.

            Rory shook her head in bewilderment.  Was everyone at Yale going to be like this?

            In any case, her last chance at companionship was gone for the night.  She briefly toyed with the idea of going to the dining hall for ice cream, but realized that late night junk food binges wouldn't be anywhere near as much fun without Lorelai.  She missed her mother so much it hurt, but couldn't bring herself to call and admit that she wanted to come home after a mere six hours at college.

            Jackie still wasn't home when she got back.  Rory quickly changed into her pajamas, plucked her copy of _Jane Eyre_ off her bookshelf, and climbed into bed, hugging Colonel Clucker to her.  As she read on, the ache inside her began to go away as she became immersed in Jane's adventures.  She fell asleep on page 167, hoping that the rest of her days at Yale would be better than her first.


	2. Chapter 2

From the diary of Rory Gilmore

September 22, 2003

            I survived my first day at Yale.  Key word survived.  I'm still breathing, and the last time I checked, I wasn't missing any major body parts.  Classes were fine, and while I've got a lot of homework, it's not that different from Chilton.

            What is different from Chilton is how alone I feel here.  When I started Chilton, I at least had Mom and Lane and Dean and everyone in Stars Hollow.  It was only my school that was different, and not my whole life.  Maybe I should have lived at home, at least for this year.  But I wanted to do the whole college thing, and it didn't seem anywhere near as scary back in May when I filled out my housing applications.  

            On the upside, Paris is in my calculus and English classes.  I never would have thought I'd be as happy to see her as I was when I arrived at my eight o'clock class and saw her sitting there.  It took a long time for me to like her, and an even longer time for her to like me, and even after all of that we always ended up bickering over something or other and having to start all over.  If you'd asked me three years ago who was going to be my best friend in college, Paris Gellar would have been the last person on my list.  But she's the only person I know at Yale, and crazy as it sounds, I'm really glad she's here.

            We spent half an hour after class comparing Yale to Chilton, and the only thing we agreed on was that the food was better, but only marginally.  Then she had to go meet Jamie for lunch.  She invited me to go to the movies with them on Friday (I so can't see Paris at the movie theatre), but I'm going home for the weekend.  She rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything.  I think Jamie's a good influence on her.

            My roommate's out at some rush function again.  She came home last night around two, turned on all the lights, and made a lot of noise as she got ready for bed.  I would have asked her to keep it down, but I really didn't want to start things off on the wrong foot.  I'm sure this was just a one-time thing, and things will settle down after rush is over.  

            I got an email from Lane today.  She managed to convince her mom to let her go to UConn, as long as she lives at home.  Right now we're working on figuring out how to get Mrs. Kim to agree to Lane coming to visit me for a weekend.  She suggested telling her mom that she's joined a Bible club at UConn, and they're all going on an overnight retreat.  I suggested just telling her mom the truth, and promising her that she'll be safe and we won't do anything wild.  Which is the truth, since from the little I've seen, Yale isn't known for its parties.  

            I should probably put this down now, and start on my homework.  It's not due till Wednesday, but I'd like to get it out of the way now.  And Mom's supposed to call later this evening.  I can't wait to talk to her, and the weekend can't come soon enough.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

By Dulcey

A/N—Sorry this took so long to get up.  Spring break then school kept me busy.  Rebecca, I just wanted to thank you for your review.  I'm touched that you liked my story enough to take the time and energy to write a review like that, and I hope this doesn't disappoint.  –D

            The shuttle was late, Rory noted as she sat outside the convenience store with her suitcase.  It was supposed to depart for Hartford every hour on the hour, and yet here it was, four fifteen and still no sign of it.  Lorelai had offered to drive to New Haven to pick her up, but Rory knew how busy her mother and Sookie were with their new inn, and convinced her that she would be fine on the shuttle.  When she got to Hartford, her grandmother would pick her up, and Lorelai would be there for dinner right after she got off work.

            Finally the bus arrived, and Rory climbed on, storing her suitcase underneath her seat and retrieving a copy of Pride and Prejudice from her backpack.  She quickly immersed herself in the book, scarcely noticing when the bus rumbled to life and pulled onto the road, or when someone plopped into the seat next to her and peered over her shoulder.

            "Hey, you've read that already."  

            Rory jumped in surprise, and turned to see Dean grinning at her.  "You scared me!" she scolded him, trying to sound stern but unable to hide how glad she was to see someone from Stars Hollow.  

            Dean grinned.  "I see college hasn't changed you much."

            "I've only been in college for a week," Rory protested.  "How different did you think I'd be?"

            He shrugged.  "I dunno.  All the girls at my school seem obsessed with fraternity parties and getting drunk every weekend."

            "How's that going?" Rory asked.  

            "What, the frat parties or the drunk girls?"  Dean replied.  "I suppose they're okay, but I've been too busy trying to keep up with my classes to partake in much of that.  I'm really getting a new respect for all that studying you did in high school."

            Rory smiled.  "Dean, that's great.  You should be so proud of yourself."

            He blushed slightly and looked away for a moment.  "How about you?  How's Yale treating you?"

            Rory sighed.  "Honestly?"

            "Doesn't sound like it's going too well," Dean noted.

            "I'm sure it'll get better," Rory protested.  "Once I get used to being away from home and being in a new city I should be fine.  I'm still adjusting, that's all."

            "It's still got to be rough," he insisted.  "I'll bet you miss your mom."

            "Like crazy," Rory confessed.  "It's so weird not having her here."

            "I'll bet she's going nuts without you too," Dean remarked.  

            Rory had to smile.  "She called yesterday to ask how doing my laundry was going."

            Dean laughed, shaking his head slightly.  "Sounds like she hasn't changed much."

            "She hasn't," Rory confirmed.  "At least, not in a week."

            "Yeah, I guess," he agreed.  "I haven't seen her much since we broke up."

            An awkward silence fell.  Rory bit her lip and turned to look out the window, not sure what to say.  It had been almost a year, and they had been able to go on being friends, but they'd never really talked about what happened between them.  Oh, they knew the facts.  Rory had fallen for Jess, and started dating him once things were finally over with Dean.  Jess was gone now, and while she'd learned a lot about herself through the experience, she still felt badly over how she had treated Dean.

            "Yeah," she finally replied.  "Wow."

            Dean nodded, looking as uncomfortable as she felt.  "Yeah.  Well, I should really get started on some of my homework…"

            "Of course," she agreed quickly.  She knew that it was an excuse for him to leave, but she couldn't bear the thought of sitting in this awkward silence with someone she used to be able to talk to so easily.  "I'll see you around?"

            "Sure," Dean agreed.  He stood up and grabbed his backpack, then stopped.  "Um, if you ever get too lonely in New Haven and wanted to hang out…"

            Rory couldn't help smiling.  "Got a pen?"

            He didn't, but she found one in her backpack, along with a piece of paper which she ripped in half.  They traded phone numbers, then Dean sat back down beside her and brought her up to date on his family, and by the time they were done, the bus had pulled into the Hartford station and Rory could see her grandmother waiting for her, looking absolutely appalled at the fact that she was even at a bus station.

            "I'd better get going," she apologized to Dean.  "I don't think Grandma can take being here much longer."

            "All right," he agreed.  "I've got to get down to my dad's office anyhow.  I'll talk to you later."

            "Talk to you later," Rory echoed.  She grabbed her backpack and stepped off the bus to meet her grandmother.  Tonight she'd have to have dinner with her grandparents and pretend she liked Yale, but then she'd get to go home to Stars Hollow and see all her friends, and at least she had Dean in New Haven now.  

            Things were looking a lot brighter than they had this morning.


	4. Chapter 4

Freshman Year 

Chapter Four

A/N:

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.  Your support and encouragement meant a lot.  And special thanks to Aimee for the beta help, and sorting out those pesky quote marks and commas. ;)  Hope this doesn't disappoint!

***********************************************************************

            She felt better for about twenty minutes before the loneliness and fatigue set in again.  That was just about as long as the car ride from the bus station to her grandparents house.  Rory found herself smiling and answering yes, she was enjoying Yale so far and yes, her roommate seemed nice. She felt more drained with each lie and found strength only in the fact that she would be seeing her mother soon.

            Once they arrived back at her grandparent's house, the entire conversation was repeated with Richard.  It was even harder this time, if possible, because Rory could tell how proud her grandfather was that she was attending his alma mater and how badly he wanted her to be happy there.  It obviously meant a great deal to him, and it wouldn't kill her to pretend to enjoy it for one evening, so she smiled and repeated her same answers.  Yes, she was enjoying Yale so far.  Yes, her roommate seemed nice.

            Rory was right in the middle of describing her courses when the doorbell rang.  She wanted so badly to run to her mother and hug her tightly and beg her to take her home right then.  But that would make her grandparents think she in fact wasn't happy at school and that wasn't a road Rory wanted to go down that night.  All she wanted was to go home and sleep in her own bed and spend the weekend with all the dear, familiar people in Stars Hollow who she hadn't realized she missed so much until they weren't there anymore.

            "Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed, throwing her arms around her daughter.  "I'm never letting you go away again, do you hear?  You're staying right in the basement and I'll bring you food and coffee if you're good, but you're not leaving me alone again, do you understand?"

            Rory blinked back tears as she hugged her mother tightly and struggled not to admit how great that actually sounded.  "I missed you too, Mom."

            "Look at you," Lorelai insisted, holding her by the shoulders.  "You look different already.  You're not taller, are you?"

            Rory grinned.  "Maybe you're shorter."

            "I am *not* shrinking," Lorelai huffed in pretend indignation.  "I'm just not wearing my heels tonight."

            "Lorelai, would you care for a drink?" Emily asked, and Rory again became conscious of her grandparents in the room.  A talk with her mother, if it was going to happen at all, would have to wait till later that night.  She shrank down onto the sofa next to Lorelai and plastered a smile on her face again.

            Fortunately, the conversation turned to Lorelai's work, and how she and Sookie had finally bought the old Dragonfly bed and breakfast once the bank's loan finally came through.  Rory had never been so appreciative of interest rates and mortgages as she was right then, and she rested her head against her mother's shoulder, finally able to forget about Yale for the time being.

            Two hours later, dinner was finally over, Rory had said goodbye to her grandparents, and she and Lorelai were finally in the car, heading down I-85 through the darkness to Stars Hollow.  They would be back by eight o'clock, and Lane was coming over, and the three of them were going to watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and stuff themselves with junk food.  It was a favorite ritual of Rory's, and had been since childhood.  Dean had always joined them while he and Rory were dating, and she realized that tonight would be the first time she'd have seen the movie since they broke up.

            This shouldn't be so weird, she told herself firmly.  It had been a long time, after all, almost a year.  Actually longer, considering she'd stayed with Dean for quite some time after she'd begun developing feelings for Jess.  And they'd stayed friends afterwards.  It wasn't like she'd seen him today for the first time since their breakup.  So they were living in the same city, so what?  They'd both lived in Stars Hollow last year, and nothing happened between them.  So why did she still feel so awkward?

            Lorelai's voice cut through her thoughts.  "Okay, out with it." 

            Rory jumped slightly.  "Huh?"

            "You've been quiet as a mouse all night, and you're never like that unless something's wrong," Lorelai continued.  "What is it?"

            Part of her wanted to tell her mother everything, how she'd seen Dean today and how confusing that had been, how homesick she was at Yale and how her roommate talked on the phone till all hours of the morning and spread her underwear to dry over Rory's bed.  But she was an adult now, almost nineteen and off at college.  She couldn't keep letting her mother fight her battles for her.  

            She decided on a modified version of the truth.  "I just missed you, that's all."

            Lorelai reached over and took her hand.  "I missed you too, sweetheart.  The house is too quiet without you."

            "Yeah, because I make so much noise," Rory teased.  "I'll just bet you miss the loud music and the wild parties and the boys coming over day and night."

            Lorelai laughed.  "I think you're confusing your adolescence with mine."  

The mood lightened, and they teased each other the rest of the way to Stars Hollow.  Rory grinned to herself in the darkness, so glad to finally be home.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes:  
  
Finally a new chapter! I hadn't intended to take so long, but I just finished with finals, and then I decided to wait until the season ended so I'd know where everything stood for the summer. This chapter is a bit longer than I expected it to be, and rather different, but still good, I hope! Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, Angel, Sardonic, Rebecca, Evelyn, Arianna, and one anonymous reviewer who I can't thank by name, but I appreciate your comments and support.  
  
Special thanks, as always, to Aimee for the beta help.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Rory awoke at three that morning, feeling slightly nauseous and noting to herself that Twizzlers and marshmallows didn't go well with filet mignon. She sat up gingerly, not wanting to hit her head on the ceiling again, then remembering that she wasn't in her bunk at Yale. She was home in her own bed, and her mother was asleep upstairs. Her stomach still felt awful, but she couldn't help smiling.  
  
She grabbed a blanket off of her bed and tiptoed upstairs. Part of her told herself that this was ridiculous and that she was far too old to be doing something so babyish. A much larger part of her didn't care. She was home and she wasn't feeling well and all she wanted was to climb into bed with Lorelai and let her mother take care of her.  
  
Lorelai was sprawled across the bed, snoring. Rory stifled a giggle and wished that she had a video camera. Lorelai had denied all summer that she snored, and Rory had argued that she most certainly did, and had given her many sleepless nights all across Europe. She always lost these arguments, since her mother was much better at pillow fights than she was, and it was easier to bury her head under her pillow than to be smacked with it by a sleepy, grumpy Lorelai.  
  
Lorelai rolled over, and Rory seized the opportunity to climb into bed and settle in with her blanket. Her stomach felt a little better, and she closed her eyes. Tomorrow she would have to go back to being Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, Yale student and pride of Stars Hollow, but for tonight she was just Rory, a sleepy little girl who felt much better now that her mom was nearby again.  
  
The first thing she heard was the incessant ringing of the alarm clock next to her ear. The first thing she felt was Lorelai's arm smacking her and she let out a little cry, instantly awake.  
  
Lorelai was awake too. "Rory? What are you doing here?"  
  
Rory looked down and picked at the bedspread. "My stomach hurt," she mumbled, embarrassed at how young she sounded. Now that morning had come, she was back to Rory Gilmore, Yale student who was far too old to do anything as childish as climb into bed with her mother. "I wasn't feeling well, but then you were asleep."  
  
"Are you all right?" Lorelai asked in concern, giving Rory a hug and feeling her forehead. "You're not coming down with something, are you?"  
  
Rory shook her head, a bit too quickly. "I think it was just too much junk food."  
  
"Fair enough," Lorelai agreed. "But are you sure there isn't something else that's bothering you? You've been acting strangely ever since yesterday."  
  
"I'm fine," Rory mumbled, unable to look at her mother. She could never make eye contact with Lorelai when she was lying to her. Unfortunately, her mother knew it, and wasn't that easily fooled.  
  
"Rory." Lorelai didn't often use that tone but when she did, Rory listened. "I know something's bothering you, and we're not going anywhere until you tell me what it is."  
  
"Mom, it's nothing!" Rory insisted. "I can handle this! I'm not a baby anymore!"  
  
"You're so stubborn!" Lorelai exclaimed in exasperation. "You never want to talk about anything that's bothering you! Why do you insist on doing everything all by yourself?"  
  
"Because I don't need my mother to fix things for me!" Rory shouted. She wasn't really upset with Lorelai, but it was so much easier to get irritated with her than to admit that she was homesick and hated Yale. "Just stay out of my life!"  
  
She regretted her words the moment she saw the hurt look on her mother's face. "Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."  
  
Lorelai didn't say anything, or even look at her. Over on the nightstand the alarm clock was still buzzing shrilly. She couldn't stand this anymore. She couldn't stay in this room any longer or else her guilt would paralyze her.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered, and then she fled.  
  
She ended up at Luke's, still in her pajamas but thankfully with her coat covering most of them. Luke had spotted her as he was taking out the trash, and after catching a glimpse of the expression on her face, insisted that she come inside for coffee. She didn't have the strength or desire to continue to insist that she was fine, so she obediently followed him inside, grateful that the diner was fairly empty. The last thing she needed was to have all of Stars Hollow wanting to know what Rory Gilmore was doing wandering around the town center on a Saturday morning in her pajamas.  
  
"Not to be rude, Rory, but you look like hell," Luke commented as he poured her a cup of coffee. "Is anything wrong?"  
  
Rory sighed. "I fought with my mom, and I said some mean things that she totally didn't deserve, because she didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"Look, Rory," Luke began. "I'm not that great with kids-not that you're a kid," he hastened to add. "You're all grown up now. Not a kid. Not even close to a kid."  
  
Rory patted his hand. "It's okay, Luke. I understand what you're saying."  
  
"My point is that I never know what to say in situations like this," he continued. "But I've known you and your mom a long time, I know she loves you a lot, and I know that the two of you will be able to work this out."  
  
"Thank you, Luke." She smiled at him, and on impulse, quickly stood up and kissed his cheek. His eyes widened, his face turned red, and Rory suddenly understood her mother's delight in making him blush. "You're an old softie under all that flannel, aren't you?"  
  
Now he stared at her in a mixture of shock and horror. "You're not Rory. Lorelai has possessed you, hasn't she?"  
  
Rory laughed. "Like mother, like daughter, I guess." Her laughter faded when she remembered how she'd left things with Lorelai. "Thanks for the coffee, Luke, but I have some apologizing to do."  
  
"You two will be fine," Luke assured her. "Go talk to her. And no more flannel jokes from you! It's creepy!"  
  
She laughed once more, took a final gulp of coffee, and headed home. The house was quiet when she got in, and she had the unpleasant thought that Lorelai had gone out, and she would have to sit around feeling wretched until her mother came back and she could apologize. She'd been looking forward to coming home all week, and this wasn't how she'd wanted to spend her time here.  
  
"Hello?" she called. "Mom?"  
  
No reply, but she heard a faint noise from the upstairs bedroom. When she got up there, she found Lorelai curled up under a pile of blankets, looking as wretched as Rory felt.  
  
"Mom, I'm so sorry," Rory apologized, sitting down on the bed next to her mother. "I had no right to say that. I don't like my roommate and I hate Yale and I'm afraid that I made a mistake with going to school there, but none of that is your fault and I'm sorry I took it out on you."  
  
"Oh, Rory," Lorelai sighed, sitting up in bed. "I wish you could talk to me about these things. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy."  
  
"I know," Rory whimpered. "And you've been so wonderful and amazing and I'm so lucky that you're my mother. I just hate feeling that I'm letting everyone down after we've worked so hard to get me to Yale."  
  
"Rory, listen to me," Lorelai insisted. "You could never let me down. I love you so much and I'm so proud of you and all that matters is that you're happy. I know how hard it must be for you to be away at a new school, and you can always come home if you want, but I know you, and you've never been one to take the easy way. You made it through Chilton and you're going to make it through Yale and I'll always be here if you need me."  
  
Rory hugged her mother. "I love you, Mom."  
  
Lorelai smoothed her hair. "I love you too, Rory."  
  
It was funny, Rory thought, how things could go so quickly from terrible to wonderful. How often she always resisted talking to Lorelai about what was troubling her, and how when she finally did confide in her, things always seemed so much brighter.  
  
"You hungry?" Lorelai asked.  
  
"Starving," Rory answered.  
  
"Luke's?"  
  
"Perfect."  
  
It was going to be a great weekend. 


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes:  
  
Sorry this is so short, but I got stuck in terms of where I wanted this to go, and I wanted to get another chapter up before the next millennium. Thank you Aimee, for your ever-valuable comments and suggestions.  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Lorelai drove her to the shuttle in Hartford on Sunday afternoon. Rory had protested that she didn't have to, and that she could catch the bus from Stars Hollow and transfer at the bus station. But Lorelai insisted, and Rory was secretly glad. It had been a long, enjoyable weekend, but another week of Yale and Jackie and loneliness stretched out before her. She wasn't in any hurry to get back.  
  
All too soon the drive to Hartford was over, and Rory found herself back on the bus, waiting to return to a place she didn't want to go back to. It was only five days to get through, she reminded herself. Five more days till Friday, when the bus would be taking her back home again. She could do this. She had graduated first in her class at Chilton, and been accepted at three Ivy League colleges, and she'd waited three years for that. Five days would be nothing. Nothing at all.  
  
One final passenger leapt on board just before the bus rumbled to life. Rory glanced up briefly from her book, and her heart leapt to see Dean's tall figure striding down the aisle toward her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. She shot him a brilliant smile and removed her backpack from the seat next to her. Dean was getting closer, he smiled back.  
  
.and sat down across the aisle from her, next to a pretty blonde girl.  
  
Of course, Rory thought, her cheeks flushed. Lindsay.  
  
"Hi, Rory," Dean greeted her. "How was your weekend?"  
  
Rory gave him another smile, but this one took much more effort. "It was great," she answered, trying to sound cheerful. "Hi, Lindsay."  
  
Lindsay gave her the briefest of smiles. "Hi."  
  
Nice to see you too, Rory thought to herself. But then again, why should Lindsay be happy to see her boyfriend's ex? Her fiance's ex, even. Dean and Lindsay had been engaged for almost four months, and she still forgot that little fact.  
  
"I didn't know you were going to school in New Haven, Lindsay," Rory commented, making another stab at conversation. "I thought you were going to Boston College."  
  
"Lindsay's going to NYU," Dean answered. "On full scholarship, too." He smiled proudly at his girlfriend-fiancée-and Rory had to turn away so that Lindsay wouldn't see the jealousy written on her face. She remembered all too well how it felt to have Dean look at her like that, and to have his arm draped around her shoulders. It was her fault, Rory reminded herself. Only her fault that she'd lost that.  
  
"Wow, that's great," Rory exclaimed, sounding much more enthusiastic than she really felt. "Congratulations, Lindsay."  
  
"Thanks, Rory," Lindsay said briefly. She rested her head on Dean's shoulder, and laced her fingers through his.  
  
"Well, I've got a lot of studying to do," Rory lied, unable to stand the situation a moment longer. "I've got to get this book read by tomorrow. We're having a quiz." It wasn't true, but Dean and Lindsay didn't know that.  
  
"All right," Dean agreed. He turned back to Lindsay almost immediately.  
  
Rory opened her book and read for the rest of the way back to New Haven. 


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes:  
  
Wow, it's been a long time! I'm very sorry about the delay. First there were finals, then my summer job, then fall semester has been keeping me insanely busy. I hope there are people still reading this! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this, and special thanks to Marissa who let me know that there were people who were hoping for another chapter, and inspired me to finally update this. I hope the long delay hasn't made me lose my touch, and please let me know what you think!  
  
From the Diary of Rory Gilmore  
  
September 29, 2003  
  
I'd heard the stories. Of course I had, everyone who's ever been to college has either experienced it, or known someone who has. It's something you joke about, walking in on your roommate in a slightly compromising situation with a member of the opposite gender. It's practically a staple of college life, along with the bad cafeteria food and the professor with the voice that never fails to put you to sleep.  
  
The concept wasn't unfamiliar to me. But it didn't prepare me for actually walking in on Jackie and a boy. I didn't see enough to tell exactly what they were doing-the last thing I wanted to do was hang around to find out. I considered myself lucky that I was able to stammer an apology and make a hasty retreat.  
  
I spent the next hour wandering around campus and trying to forget what I'd just seen. There could have been any number of explanations, really. Jackie and I are sharing that small room for the two of us, and we hadn't really talked about what rules we wanted in terms of having boys over. Maybe her boyfriend was visiting from California, and I hadn't exactly told her when I would be back today. It could have all been a simple misunderstanding, and she was as embarrassed as I was.  
  
When I finally found the courage to return to my room, Jackie was sitting on her bed and the boy was gone. I told her how sorry I was about what had happened, and that I didn't mean to make her feel embarrassed or awkward. She stood up and said, "Yeah, you should be."  
  
My jaw dropped. "What?"  
  
"Rory, haven't you ever heard of knocking?" she demanded. "What made you think you could just come barging in here?"  
  
I blinked, unable to believe what I was hearing. "Jackie, I live here."  
  
"Yeah, but so do I!" she retorted. "I don't think a little common courtesy is too much to ask!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" I yelled. "I just didn't expect my roommate to be bringing boys over without telling me!"  
  
Jackie rolled her eyes. "What, I need to ask your permission first?"  
  
I took a deep breath, fighting to keep my temper under control. "Look, Jackie, we're both going to have to learn to live together, and that means making compromises. I know we haven't had much of a chance to talk, but I think it's important that we set aside some time to establish some room rules."  
  
She sighed. "Rory, I'm really not in the mood for this. I'm going out right now, and I'd like it if you just left everything alone."  
  
I watched her leave, feeling utterly frustrated with her and with myself. Why did I have to get stuck with a roommate I hated? What was wrong with me that it had only been a week and we already hated each other?  
  
I couldn't stand being in that room another instant longer, so I took my suitcase over to Paris's dorm. She was in, fortunately, and when I told her my story, she wanted to march over to my room and give Jackie a piece of her mind. While I was sorely tempted to unleash Paris's wrath on my roommate, I told Paris that I needed to work this out on my own. She told me I was being a pushover, but let me spend the night on the couch in the common room of her suite.  
  
I'm not looking forward to facing Jackie tomorrow, but I can't think of any way I can put it off. In any case, I can get a decent night's sleep before having to worry about it. Thank God today is over, and at least tomorrow can't get any worse. 


End file.
